In the news...

Headlines May 24, 2013

In the news…..

President Obama announced measures May 23 to revitalize his failed first-term commitment to close the military detention center at Guantanamo Bay, but the renewed effort faces the same steep political climb: To make it work, Congress would have to accept a plan to move some detainees from Cuba to the United States.

Business

The Pentagon May 23 told Congress it expected a 1 percent drop in the cost of its biggest weapons program, the Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jet, while averting the huge cost increases seen on other weapons programs in recent years.

Public backlash against deadly overseas drone strikes may undermine promising uses of such technology for anything from disaster response to mail delivery, a top U.S. industry group said as it launched a lobbying effort to “demystify” unmanned planes.

Defense

A new round of military base closings is going nowhere in Congress. The House Armed Services readiness subcommittee passed a bill May 23 rejecting the Obama administration’s request for more domestic base closings.

The Pentagon May 23 told Congress that a recent restructuring of its heavy rocket launch program to add 60more launches and extend the schedule for a decade would more than double the program’s projected cost to $70.7 billion.

Space

NASA is looking for commercial operators to lease a historic launch pad in Florida used for the first Moon missions and by the shuttles. Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center has been unused since the Atlantis orbiter retired in 2011.

Bigelow Aerospace LLC, a maker of inflatable space habitats, will study the possible return of men to the moon as part of an agreement with NASA that may lead to more public-private partnerships for exploration.

Corporate researchers may be living on the moon by the time NASA astronauts head off to visit an asteroid in the 2020s, a study of future human missions unveiled May 23 shows. The study by Bigelow Aerospace, commissioned by NASA, shows ‘a lot of excitement and interest from various companies’ for such ventures, said Robert Bigelow, founder and president of the Las Vegas-based firm.

International

The High Court has rejected accusations that the team investigating historic abuse allegations by British soldiers in Iraq lacks independence but said the inquiry “does not fulfill” Britain’s responsibilities on human rights grounds.

Viewpoint

For decades, when U.S. policymakers contemplated conflict with China, their fears focused on Taiwan. Today, by contrast, Sino-American tensions seem to be on the rise everywhere but Taiwan, where relations between this island and the mainland have significantly improved.

As the Pentagon and Congress grapple with how to reduce sexual assault in the military, here’s an idea that would transform and improve military culture: Recruit, retain and promote far more women to the upper ranks.

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News: Israel lobbies for more missile defense funds than Obama sought - For the second consecutive year, Israeli officials have asked the U.S. Congress to add more than $300 million to President Barack Obama’s budget request for their nation’s missile-defense programs. Business: Inside one of the most intense, and unusual, Pentagon contracting wars - The much-anticipated...

Italy resumes Navy exercise amid new tensions over Libya The Italian Navy is resuming exercises in the Mediterranean Sea, including near the coast of Libya, amid concerns about rapidly deteriorating security in the North African nation. The exercise began March 2 and includes anti-submarine, anti-aircraft and anti-ship training operations. The exercise was suspended for a...

Two Boeing 702SP (small platform) satellites, the first all-electric propulsion satellites to launch, have sent initial signals from space, marking the first step toward ABS, based in Bermuda, and Eutelsat, based in Paris, being able to provide enhanced communication services to their customers. Whatís more, the satellites were launched as a conjoined stack on a...

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. and SENER, a leading Spanish engineering company, announced March 2 that they have signed a teaming agreement that promotes the use of the multi-mission Predator B® RPA to support Spain’s airborne surveillance and reconnaissance requirements. GAASI is a leading manufacturer of Remotely Piloted Aircraft systems, radars, and electro-optic and relate...

Raytheon has delivered a second Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite instrument to support the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Joint Polar Satellite System mission. The second VIIRS unit will fly ab...

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